Month: April 2017

What is in a name, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. ~Shakespeare
So I have nearly always hated my name. I have had reasons… And they seemed like good ones. But it really came down to the fact that I never heard my name unless I was in trouble. Not my full name anyway. So I spent a hefty portion of my life looking at other names and feeling envy. I wanted to be anyone else, and I felt that a lot of it was the name. My full name is Patricia Lynn Harris. So common a name. Google it. There are hundreds of Patricia Harris’s out there. As a younger girl I would write as Susan Ann Andrews. I adored the name Susan. It seemed to embody all of the desire I wanted. I was even “Sassy Susie” on the Cb radio.

It was something that I always assumed would be my pen name. I am not sure why I put my full name on the first thing I published. It was not something that I really thought out. I was just trying to have my voice be heard. After that it was a matter of principal. I was already out as that name. To change it felt like I was hiding from the past. That was not something that I was willing to do.

So I did the poetry. I did the kids books. And I was doing all of it with who I was. Stories for my girl, and poetry that was how I dealt with the emotional baggage of life. So I forgot about pen names. I didn’t need one.

Then my Joe, bless him, decided to be my muse. He started giving me dark ideas. Delightful ideas, ones that I wanted to read. Ideas that hadn’t been written. However the ideas were violent and really not kid friendly. So I found myself needing a pen name. I wanted something that was more true to who I was.

I am pagan. I have a name that I use in my ritual times. Serenity Rose Lace. I wanted to at least use some of this name. So I chose to use a variation on Serenity. Serena. I also wanted to acknowledge the darkness of what I was wanting to write… So Mossgraves. It sounded good to me.

So that is where my Pen name originated. What name would you choose, If you could name yourself?

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So I got the chance to sit down and talk to Jackie Chin from Zombiepalooza. And I didn’t blow it. I was definitely nervous but I had a lot of fun! If you have not checked her out, then you really should.

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Yes, I am slow sometimes in responding on Twitter or the like. Doesn’t mean that I am less likely to do so. The problem with apps like crowdfire and similar is that it takes away from the socializing. You are sending out blanket messages and showing that all of your concern is the numbers. People are not numbers…. And they never should be. You can miss some amazing interaction and the amazing ideas behind the individual by using those apps. As a writer, I love stories. Each person is made up of a unique set of stories that came from their unique life. Why would anyone deny themselves the opportunity to hear them? Of course you will find the occasional troll. But if you are willing to allow them, even trolls can teach you about people. Social media outlets are for being social…. Quit automating that.